Kohima: Coinciding with Hornbill Festival 2021, the third edition of the Nagaland Film Festival began at the Capital Convention Centre in Kohima on Friday.
The film festival was organised by the Department of Information & Public Relations (DIPR) in association with the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting and Film Association of Nagaland (FAN).
Nagaland Chief Secretary J Alam, who graced the opening ceremony, challenged filmmakers from the state and across the country to explore the state, expressing hope that Nagaland could one day become a film destination.
“Films play a significant role in the present age of communication,” he said, ” and stories through films are now able to reach all corners of the world through the internet.”
The chief secretary said the film sector is very vast and has lots of opportunities for many talented people who are in the organized film industry.
“We are living in very exciting times. There are huge opportunities waiting. The only problem is—how do we facilitate it,” he said. In this regard, the chief secretary acknowledged the DIPR and FAN for providing platforms to the film industry, further hoping that the workshop and the festival will help express the creations of local filmmakers, besides the knowledge imparted by experts from the field.
He pointed out that there is a renewed interest in the North East region and many filmmakers are now turning their attention towards the region, which in turn is providing opportunities for people from the region.
After tourism, he said, the film sector has the highest potential to provide employment as it involves a lot of expertise and workforce.
The chief secretary hoped that a time will soon come when the Nagaland film sector will grow big and make a mark at national and international stage. He said the Nagaland film policy, which is under progress, will do wonders for the sector.
FAN president Kivini Shohe informed that this year there is a mixture of films that will be screened during the three-day film festival. As film making is nascent in Nagaland, she hoped that the opportunity provided through the festival will help those from the film sector to equip themselves to become better storytellers.
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